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November 19th, 2013
11:03 PM ET

Deadly Wait at V.A. Hospitals

Some V.A. hospitals are telling military veterans to wait for potentially life-saving tests – and patients are dying because of it.

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Filed under: ac360 • Drew Griffin • Keeping Them Honest
soundoff (7 Responses)
  1. B arbara Ann Wright

    The Department of Defense has screwed around with my husbands records and the VA denied him health care until his once broken back now looks like an upside down question mark and the doctors say there's nothing that they can do for him. My prayer is tha you or someone will do a story about Special Op's vets like my husband who are trying to get their records released so that they can get the benefits they were promised when they enlisted in the service. For at least 20 years my husband was told that he didn't qualify for VA health care or that he made too much to qualify when the truth was someone was holding his DD 214 hostage that would have shown given him plenty of active duty time along with the 5+ years he had in the reserves. Further more his service medical records would have shown his fall and back injury but again someone at the Pentagon was playing god and because of that he now lives with back pain 24/7 365 and we try to live on SS and what I make as a merchandiser. Where's the justice?

    November 21, 2013 at 9:16 am |
  2. Terry

    First, Thanks Drew Griffin for bring this to the light for the rest of the world, what we Veterans already know. We are treated like 3rd class citizens in a world which we swore to defend. I can only speak for myself and from what I have seen, and it's not good. I asked my doctor about getting a colonoscopy after turning 50 years old and I was told "the Va do not do colonoscopies unless there's a reason". But she never check to see if there was a reason, nor order an occult blood test. I have been treatment disrespectful, kept waiting for hours just because they can treat people anyway they like without consequents. These people do not care, and that is the worse type of medical people and the support personnel I have had the unpleasant task of dealing with here in Jacksonville FL. SHAME on them, and SHAME on our Government!

    November 20, 2013 at 11:16 pm |
  3. Edwin H. Crosby III

    You should check out lawsuit KENDALL v. U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs, U.S. 9th Cir. Docket No: 12-35841 . This lawsuit is about just what your news story was about. Moreover, it lists 20 additional items with the complaint including WRONGFUL DEATH, GENOCIDE ( 18 U.S.C. 1091, we qualify for 5 of 6 items ) . SO, shouldn't you be doing a STORY on this MASSIVE CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT ??? Shouldn't you have mentioned it to AMERICA'S VETERANS so they could JOIN the litigation / class ?? I am the second named litigant in this lawsuit. Took litigation to U.S. Supreme Court regarding SPN, SPD codes placed without due process upon ALL 25 MILLION Veterans. I trust you will contact me. Edwin H. Crosby III, google that name

    November 20, 2013 at 3:38 pm |
  4. George

    After seeing story on VA hospitals I want to add my concerns. Since my 88yr old dad is a vet I know how long waits can b. One big concern I have is my sisterlaw a vet herself and a VA xray lab tech takes off with or without her boss to play golf more than not. I understand she is told theres no one scheduled – so go have fun rest of afternoon ! What gives??

    November 20, 2013 at 2:56 pm |
  5. Jon

    Their just waiting for us to die off....I finally went to a private hospital.

    November 20, 2013 at 2:43 pm |
    • MarcusP

      I was just medically retired in september. I guess theres a limit to how many IEDs you can come into contact with. Makes you feel really appreciated though when they they kick you out and with the same foot now on your throat keeping you from getting better. This is why War should not be entered into so lightly. You not only have to deal with the dead but the far greater number of physically and mentally wounded. Theres a big problem our nation isnt willing to face and that is our homeless unemployed and suicidal veterans. Going on 13 years now....

      January 10, 2014 at 9:29 pm |
  6. Dee

    It's sad to see that the story about our Vets is accurate. I work for VA Hospital and since here have seen the mentality of senior management – they talk accountability but really do not want accountability. I worked for agencies that knew and implemented accountability. VA Hospitals is not one of those agencies. Employees are afraid to speak out because there is retaliation, intimidation and harassment to the point of causing emotional stress to employees. VHA IT infrastructures are antiquated, do not talk to each other and just a hot mess – no wonder GAO, Congress, etc can't get accurate data from them VA can't gather accurate data either. Sad, sad, sad, if I could leave this agency I would – believe me I have been trying since coming here.

    November 20, 2013 at 12:38 pm |

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